# Multi\_field with collection value using Java api **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-field-with-collection-value-using-java-api/9309 "2012-10-10T18:35:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fletch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@fletch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/fletch)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-field-with-collection-value-using-java-api/9309/1 "2012-10-10T18:35:58Z")
Hi all, I'm coming across some odd behavior and wondering if I'm missing something or if it's a bug. I created an index (see script below), and added some documents. There is a mapping for a multi\_field type, and objects of type java.util.List are used as values. When I pull back a single document using curl, the json looks like I would expect. However, when I do a simple bool query using the Java api against the same index, the multi\_field property is nested inside an extra ArrayList. This ArrayList has a single entry, which is the list I expect. Where did the extra wrapping collection come from? I know it has to do with using the multi\_field type, because when I map the property directly to a string type it works as I would expect. And the returned json doesn't change when I use curl... Please let me know if any of the above needs clarification... not as easy to copy and paste in java objects as it is json. 🙂 Thanks in advance for any insights. Matt Index creation script: curl -XPUT [http://server:9200/photoindex1/](http://server:9200/photoindex1/) -d @photoIndex1.json photoIndex1.json (abbreviated): { "settings" : { "analysis" : { "analyzer" : { "stemmingloweringanalyzer" : { "type" : "custom", "tokenizer" : "lowercase", "filter" : ["porterStem"] } } } }, "mappings" : { "photoType" : { "\_source" : { "enabled" : true }, "\_all" : { "analyzer" : "default", "enabled" : true }, "properties" : { "photoId" : { "type" : "integer", "store" : "yes", "index" : "no", "include\_in\_all" : false }, "tags" : { "type" : "multi\_field", "fields" : { "tags" : { "type" : "string", "index\_name" : "tag", "store" : "no", "index" : "analyzed", "analyzer" : "stemmingloweringanalyzer", "include\_in\_all" : true, "boost" : 0.7 }, "untouched" : { "type" : "string", "index\_name" : "tag", "store" : "yes", "index" : "not\_analyzed" } } } } } } } Get a document using curl (doesn't change if I reindex without the multi\_field type and instead have a mapping to string type): curl -XGET [http://dsearchin001:9200/photoalias/photoType/40](http://dsearchin001:9200/photoalias/photoType/40) { "\_index":"photoindex1", "\_type":"photoType", "\_id":"40", "\_version":1, "exists":true, "\_source" : { "tags": ["white kitchen cabinets","light brown granite counter tops","recessed can lights","stainless steel refrigerator","bright"], "photoId":40 } } Java code that I would expect to work.... protected List extractListField(String fieldName, SearchHit hit, Class genericClass) { Map\ fieldMap = hit.getFields(); SearchHitField hitField = fieldMap.get(fieldName); List list = Lists.newLinkedList(); if (hitField != null && hitField.getValues() != null && !hitField.getValues().isEmpty()) { Collection values = (Collection) hitField.getValues(); list.addAll(values); } return list; } Java code I actually have to use... protected List extractListField(String fieldName, SearchHit hit, Class genericClass) { Map\ fieldMap = hit.getFields(); SearchHitField hitField = fieldMap.get(fieldName); List list = Lists.newLinkedList(); if (hitField != null && hitField.getValues() != null && !hitField.getValues().isEmpty()) { // Note the use of getValue() instead of getValues() Collection values = (Collection) hitField.getValue(); list.addAll(values); } return list; } -- ---
**Author:** ![Clinton\_Gormley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Clinton\_Gormley](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Clinton_Gormley)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 8:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-field-with-collection-value-using-java-api/9309/2 "2012-10-11T08:03:11Z")
Hi Fletch > I created an index (see script below), and added some documents. > There is a mapping for a multi\_field type, and objects of type > java.util.List are used as values. When I pull back a single document > using curl, the json looks like I would expect. However, when I do a > simple bool query using the Java api against the same index, the > multi\_field property is nested inside an extra ArrayList. This > ArrayList has a single entry, which is the list I expect. Where did > the extra wrapping collection come from? I know it has to do with > using the multi\_field type, because when I map the property directly > to a string type it works as I would expect. And the returned json > doesn't change when I use curl... The JSON that you send to ES is stored in the \_source field, and that exact same JSON is returned to you when you request a document (via GET or search or whatever). This is distinct from the values that are indexed for that document. A multi-field (eg you have field 'title' and add multi-fields 'untouched' and 'autocomplete') results in the value from the 'title' field being indexed into all sub-fields: - title.title (the main field, also accessible as 'title') - title.untouched - title.autocomplete This is the reason you're seeing a difference, and it is not a bug. It is like this by design clint -- ---
**Author:** ![fletch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@fletch](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/fletch)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-field-with-collection-value-using-java-api/9309/3 "2012-10-11T18:10:53Z")
Hi Clint, Thanks for the reply. I believe I understand the difference between what is stored in \_source and what is indexed. What I'm really trying to get at is that when I write build up a query in Java, the SearchHitField comes back with a different value depending on whether I map the field as multifield or not, while the json response (running exactly the same query -- got from toString() value on ES SearchRequestBuilder instance) does not change at all. Just seems odd to me that one data representation changes and the other doesn't... Sorry if I didn't explain this well the first time. Matt PS - Here's the json representation of the query I'm running, in case that makes a difference: { "size" : 1, "query" : { "bool" : { "should" : [ { "field" : { "primarySpaceDesc" : { "query" : "Attic", "boost" : 5.0 } } }, { "field" : { "secondarySpaceDesc" : "Attic" } } ] } }, "fields" : [ "description", "displayTypeId", "photoId", "segmentDesc", "segmentId", "graphicId", "largeImageFilename", "mediumImageFilename", "primarySpaceDesc", "primarySpaceId", "primaryStyleDesc", "primaryStyleId", "secondarySpaceDesc", "secondarySpaceId", "secondaryStyleDesc", "secondaryStyleId", "smallImageFilename", "tags" ] } On Thursday, October 11, 2012 2:03:17 AM UTC-6, Clinton Gormley wrote: > Hi Fletch > > > I created an index (see script below), and added some documents. > > There is a mapping for a multi\_field type, and objects of type > > java.util.List are used as values. When I pull back a single document > > using curl, the json looks like I would expect. However, when I do a > > simple bool query using the Java api against the same index, the > > multi\_field property is nested inside an extra ArrayList. This > > ArrayList has a single entry, which is the list I expect. Where did > > the extra wrapping collection come from? I know it has to do with > > using the multi\_field type, because when I map the property directly > > to a string type it works as I would expect. And the returned json > > doesn't change when I use curl... > > The JSON that you send to ES is stored in the \_source field, and that > exact same JSON is returned to you when you request a document (via GET > or search or whatever). > > This is distinct from the values that are indexed for that document. > > A multi-field (eg you have field 'title' and add multi-fields > 'untouched' and 'autocomplete') results in the value from the 'title' > field being indexed into all sub-fields: > > - title.title (the main field, also accessible as 'title') > - title.untouched > - title.autocomplete > > This is the reason you're seeing a difference, and it is not a bug. It > is like this by design > > clint -- ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/multi-field-with-collection-value-using-java-api/9309/4 "2017-07-06T03:09:14Z")